Ground stabilisation programme for Rotorua Museum

A programme of ground stabilisation will begin shortly underneath the Rotorua Museum of Art and History to ensure the iconic Bathhouse building can continue to host visitors and locals alike for another 100 years.

The need for the work was identified when geotechnical testing under the Tarawera Gallery for the South Wing Extension Project revealed some serious underground conditions requiring remedial action to strengthen the ground structure under the building.

Museum director Greg McManus said it was fortuitous that these conditions were discovered during work on the extension as they would clearly have been required to protect the museum, whether or not the new extension was undertaken.

“The geotechnical investigation has shown that there are significant areas of weakness in the ground caused by pockets of air and these have the potential to slump in a natural disaster, such as a severe earthquake.”

“When issues were identified in the South Wing it was thought prudent to continue the investigation under the existing atrium and historic North Wing of the building. These tests revealed similar although less severe issues as those under the South Wing.

“As a result, a programme of remedial work involving filling the voids with a specially designed injection grouting process has been identified and should begin in late March,” said Mr McManus.

Rotorua District Council chief executive Peter Guerin said the total cost of the work is estimated at around $1.8 million, plus some professional fees. Work under the South Wing will account for approximately $390,000 of this and will be funded from the Centennial Project budget, while work under the Atrium and North Wing of around $1.4 million will be funded through RDC’s loans programme.

“Although the remedial work is clearly an unwanted expense at this time, it is better to find out about the serious issues now and deal with them immediately than to risk potentially bigger problems for the museum in the future.

“Our museum is far too important to this community to remain at risk. This work will help ensure it survives another hundred years of Rotorua history.”

Mr McManus said he could assure locals and visitors that the museum remained safe to visit in the meantime.

“Expert engineers assure me that the risk of any immediate problems under normal conditions is extremely low. However in the case of a major earthquake there is some risk of instability and it is that risk that our stabilisation programme will address.”

The project is expected to be finished in time for the opening of the completed Museum Centennial Development Project in August of next year.